Death in War, Death at Home

The stress of military service in Iraq and Afghanistan is reported in an article published by the London Guardian.  

see "Horror and stresses of Iraq duty led US sergeant to kill comrades,"  London Guardian, May 16, 2009

Does Cornyn Support Vets?

IRAQ Veterans High Suicide Rate

-----

Army Suicide Rate on Record-Setting Pace

In military news, the Pentagon has admitted the Army suicide rate is on pace to break last year’s all-time record. Ninety-three active-duty soldiers had killed themselves by the end of last month. With nearly four months left this year, the number is well on pace to break last year’s record of 115 soldier suicides. It’s also on pace to surpass the suicide rate for the general population for the first time since the Vietnam War.

from Democracy Now

September 5, 2008

1,000 Vet Suicide Attempts per Month

A few months ago while I was shipping a package to my son in New York, I had a short conversation with a couple of young men who were working at the Fedex counter of a Fedex-Kinkos. It turned out that one was an Iraq veteran.

After he told me, I said to him that I was glad he made it back. Then the other guy said that it was a bad situation because many who came back alive were dying after they got home. When I read the VA email stating that there were 1,000 suicide attempts per month I was not surprised.

See video of CBS report: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GePao3-2HL8

Tempers Flare At Hearing On Vet Suicides
WASHINGTON, May 6, 2008

---

(CBS) The name of the hearing said it all: "The truth about veteran suicides."

After playing clips of recent CBS News reports outlining attempts within the VA to "cover up" suicide data, Committee Chairman Bob Filner lashed out at the man in charge, Secretary James Peake, accusing the Department of Veterans Affairs of "criminal negligence," reports CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.

"What we see is a pattern -- deny, deny, cover up, cover up," Filner said.

Filner's colleagues quickly followed, piling anger on top of disbelief.

With his embattled Director of Mental Health Dr. Ira Katz at his side, Secretary Peake presented a detailed series of charts and graphs generally backing CBS News suicide data.

"I've never had a concern with their overall numbers," Katz told the committee.

"We're as far from hiding information from the public as anyone I know," Peake said.

But several lawmakers weren't buying it, citing a Feb. 13 e-mail titled "Not for CBS News" where Katz appears to be trying to keep attempted suicide numbers quiet.

"That was very unfortunate," Katz said. "I deeply regret that subject line. I apologize for that."

Outside the hearing room we asked Peake to answer repeated calls from Congress for Katz's resignation.

"I do not have any intention of relieving Dr. Katz," Peake said.

"So Dr. Katz stays?" asked Keteyian.

"That's my plan absolutely," Peake answered.

The hearing opened with Chairman Filner showing two CBS News reports from April 21st and 25th of this year, detailing the VA’s reluctance to provide information about veteran suicide.

CBS News first reported on the epidemic of suicide in the VA in November 2007, finding that over 6,000 veterans killed themselves in 2005 alone. That averages out to more than 120 per week. Katz immediately dismissed our report at a December 12th committee hearing, saying CBS’s numbers were not “an accurate reflection of the rates.”

---

---